Illini lead for Jacksonville WR

Jacksonville (Fla.) Raines wide receiver Isaiah Stallings said he had a successful senior season, racking up around 30 receptions and five touchdowns. Now that his high school career has concluded, he is turning his attention towards figuring out where he will play at for the next four years.

"Our season just ended so now I am going to start focusing a little more on recruiting," Stallings said.

He shared a bit about what schools are really in the picture at this time.

"I have an offer from Illinois and Alabama State University," Stallings said. "I am hearing regularly from Middle Tennessee State University, they just came to see me about two weeks ago. Coach Justin Watts is recruiting me for them. He is a young guy, easy to get along with. I have also been hearing from Rutgers a lot. Stanford is also showing me some interest. I am also talking with the University of Florida a bit, Coach (Scot) Loeffler."

The only official visit that Stallings has taken so far is to Illinois. He made his way to Champaign in September when the Illini hosted Northern Illinois.

"It was pretty interesting up there," Stallings said. "They treated me really well. Coach (Dan) Disch, we have a great communication and we talked up there a lot. I had a chance to talk with Coach (Ron) Zook. I went out to eat with him and the rest of the coaches."

Prior to kickoff, he sat in with members of the team for a meeting and came away convinced he could see himself as part of the team.

"I took in one of their football meetings before the game and they were talking about some of the plays," Stallings said. "I could see myself fitting in there at the University of Illinois."

Illinois has a number of Sunshine State prospects on their roster and during his trip Stallings was able to spend some time with a few of those guys.

"After the game I spent some time with the players," Stallings said. "Guys like Ryan Lankford and Darius Millines, who are a couple of receivers. It was a great experience."

Since the visit concluded, Illinois' staff has remained in regular contact with the 6-foot-2, 173-pound wideout.

"They are still in regular communication with me," Stallings said. "Coach Disch is a great coach. Like I said I got to spend a lot of time around him and he is a great guy. He is a funny guy. A big part of me making my college decision and being far away from home, it is about having a coach I can trust. I feel I can trust Coach Disch."

As for other official visits, nothing has been scheduled yet but he fully intends to see a few other campuses.

"I plan to take an official visit to Alabama State," Stallings said. "I haven't scheduled it yet. I will take a few other visits."

While he wants to use all five allotted official visits, a decision could come in the near future before he is able to hit the road for all of those trips.

"I wouldn't say that it will take all the way to Signing Day," Stallings said. "I will probably make a soft verbal commitment here soon, but I will remain open and looking at schools."

If he decided today, Stallings knows where he would end up.

"Illinois is in the lead right now," Stallings said. "I just like the relationship I have with the coaches there and I can see myself playing there."

On his senior season, Stallings had around 30 receptions and five touchdowns for Raines.

Academically, Stallings earned a 20 on the ACT and doesn't expect to encounter any issues with qualifying.